And in the Light
by Joey Penn
Summary: Sequel to Goodnight & A Fresh Start . It's been a year and a half since Julia died and in the face of this most recent death the Snapes have not been coping well But when an emerald coffin is discovered everything changes and the future is altered forever
1. The Emerald Coffin

**Chapter One - The Emerald Coffin**

"Seb, I don't think we should be here." Draco Malfoy walked closely behind his best friend, Sebastian Snape. Well it would be fairer to say that Draco Malfoy cowered behind his slightly taller friend as Sebastian led him through the bowels of Hogwarts castle. They were so deep within the damp dungeons that Draco didn't think anyone had ever ventured this far down and lived to tell the tale.

Sebastian, however, didn't seem to be even a little afraid as he strode on with his calm confidence oozing off of him. It was that kind of confidence that people only achieved when they knew exactly what they were doing, when they knew all the possible outcomes of an action, and when they had performed that action countless times before. But Draco knew that Sebastian hadn't; hadn't ever physically walked these paths but just as Draco knew that, he also knew that Sebastian would never risk him, that Sebastian would never have brought Draco down here if it wasn't necessary and that Sebastian would take care of him, as he always had and always would. And it was for those reasons that Draco's protestation was whispered and more a search for reassurance than a request that they should return.

Seb's hand reached backwards and took Draco's hand in his own, squeezing it slightly. They walked on.

The dungeons as well as being damp were dark, so dark that Draco ordinarily wouldn't have been able make out his own hand if it had been right in front of his face. But Seb had known; known what journey they were making this afternoon and had known what they needed. In Seb's free hand he carried a muggle torch. When Draco had asked where it had come from Seb's face had crumpled and the little boy had sighed so deeply that Draco almost wanted to cry.

"It was Julia's." Seb had finally said and then had abruptly brightened up with a huge grin and Draco knew that Seb had seen the future again, and knew something that no one else did. And in typical Sebastian Snape fashion, Seb refused to tell Draco anything and had just responded with a knowing smile and a "you'll see."

Finally, they reached what appeared to be a dead end. A rough stone wall sat infront of them, impenetrable, immovable.

Draco was just about to ask, 'What now?' When Sebastian dropped Draco's hand and laid his own hand flat against the wall.

Nothing happened at first but then Draco could hear Seb whisper something over and over, and then, with an earthshattering groan the wall moved and slid in front of the adjoining wall, as if it was merely a sliding door, to reveal a round chamber that was lit with an eerie green glow that made shivers run down Draco's spine.

The room would have been as black as black could possibly if it weren't for the glowing green rock that sat in the middle of the room.

The rock looked like roughened glass and was in a long rectangular shape. It reminded Draco of the coffin that they had buried Seb's mother in, and the boy shivered. It was taller though. It reached their shoulders in heigh and for the first time Seb exuded something other than quiet confidence or barely noticeable excitement. There was a nervous anticipatory air about him that immediately made Draco weary.

Seb half turned to him and flashed him a (what was meant to be) comforting grin before stepping forward towards the coffin but Draco didn't follow, couldn't.

Seb walked unerringly straight up to the coffin and then looked down, he let out a little, "Oh." But otherwise was completely silent as he reached forward with both hands and pressed them on top of the coffin.

"Draco. Come see." Seb said after a moment.

Draco took a deep breath and let it out, mentally stealing himself for what he would find inside that coffin; from this distance Draco could only see a blurry shape within it.

Slowly, Draco moved closer, eyes closed, still frightened to death over what he might find in that coffin. When he got closer he could feel a vibration, a hum, pushing against him and past him. It was pure magical energy and it was heady as it intoxicated his senses. Draco's eyes popped open and he looked down. He gasped, so shocked he could have screamed had he any control of his vocal cords.

There, lying on a bed of green emerald, encased in a protective shield of the same emerald lay Julia Snape.

For a woman who had been dead for over a year and half Julia looked pretty good to Draco. She didn't look a day older than when he had last seen her; that first and last Christmas that a _whole_ Snape family had joined the Malfoys. The only noticeable difference now was that Julia no longer had a six-month pregnancy. Draco swallowed. She was dressed in strange clothes, black leather pants with knee high boots and a flappy shirt that was loosely tucked in. She looked like one of those old pirates from his children's books. He hair fanned out around her head. It was messier than he'd ever seen it. She was completely prone, there was no breath in her chest and Draco didn't know why he was even looking for breath because she was dead. Draco knew she was dead.

"She's not." Draco started at Seb's voice, it was so sudden and shocking in the silence of the room.

"Not what?" Draco asked.

"Dead. She's alive." And Seb's hands turned white; he was pushing that hard on the top of the emerald coffin. "Help me Draco. Put your hands like mine and push."

Draco was getting frightened. He couldn't understand how Julia could suddenly be alive after over a year of being dead and he couldn't understand how pushing down on a coffin could open it and he couldn't see how else to open the coffin because there was no break in the rectangle emerald. And that made Draco wander how Julia had even gotten inside it because there was no opening.

Draco shrugged and did as instructed. And as soon as his hands touched the stone there was an almighty bang and a crack appeared in the center of the stone and as he pushed down with Sebastian the crack deepened and widened and lengthened. Draco closed his eyes with the effort until he felt the emerald give way and instinctively Draco stepped back a couple steps dragging Seb with him.

The part of the emerald that had been above Julia was now lying in two, either side of the woman and as Draco watched, his best friend's mother took a deep breath, and then another and couple more after that until her breathing picked up a normal steady pace.

Seb stepped forward and touched Julia's still limp hand. Her eyes sprang open at the contact and Draco jumped back, startled, but Sebastian didn't even flinch.

There was confusion on the woman's face, "Seb? What's going on? Where are we?" The woman half sat up while trying to take in her strange surroundings, but as soon as she did so her hands flew to her flat stomach.

"Jacob! Oh my god! There were lights! I was in a car accident! Where's Jacob Seb?"

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><p>Silas' fingers tangled in her hair as his lips met with hers, and in a completely different way their tongues tangled and then with a sharp realization Silas stepped away, accidently pushing her away with more strength than he'd intended. She fell backwards but the couch was behind her so it wasn't a rough landing.<p>

"Oh my God! I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!" Silas cried and ran to the other side of the room his hands on either side of his face and Charlie couldn't help but giggle at his melodramatic pose. "Well I'm glad you think this is funny!" He shouted, with less anger and more nervous fear and guilt than anything else.

Charlie sat up from her sprawled position and frowned at Silas.

"What's wrong? I don't understand. That was brilliant!" Charlie stood up.

Silas turned an incredulous face to her, "What do you mean 'what's wrong?' You have been in _love_ with my _brother_ since you met him and all of the sudden we're _kissing_! This is bad, so bad. I'm not a replacement. I'm not a consolation!" Silas shouted, growing angry.

Charlie took a step back at the unexpected reaction. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Everyone knows you're in love with Severus. Everyone. Even – even Julia knew." Silas' voice broke.

"Silas. You're wrong." Charlie's face battled expressions of concern, sympathy, confusion, anger and embarrassment.

"No, I'm not!" Silas fell into a kitchen chair, his head resting in his hands. He spoke again but it was more self-chastising mutterings than anything directed at Charlie. "How could you do this? You knew she didn't want you, you knew it. But you just couldn't get over it could you?"

"Silas?" Charlie called, gently. She received no response. "Si?" She tried again. He continued in his monologue and she sighed. She sat opposite him at the round breakfast table. "Okay Silas, listen to me." She said. Silas didn't look up but he did stop muttering and Charlie took this as a positive sign.

She sighed again. "Okay, you're right I've liked your brother for a long time, since I met him." Silas snorted. "But! But, since I've met him I've tried to change him, tried to make him someone who was more suited to me. Who played around and did inappropriate things. At first I didn't even realise I was doing it because I didn't even really know who Severus was, I sort of had this idealized version of what he was and every time he didn't live up to that expectation I would get upset." She shook her head at her own complete stupidity. "In my head I made him into someone he just isn't. And then after – after Julia… I thought – stupidly – that maybe he'd finally see me and realise that maybe he loved me a little too.

"But I was wrong. He never wanted me, never wanted anyone but her. And Severus is so different to what I want and it took me so long to realise that, he's even more so now after – after everything. And I'm not saying that he's not lovable he's just not for me, he's been through so much to be the way he is and its insensitive and foolish of me to want to change him into somebody else, somebody whose just as inexperienced at living as I am." Silas was looking at her now, so intently that Charlie couldn't look up from studying the table top. "Silas, I realised a couple months ago that I never really loved Severus, not really. I loved what I thought was Severus. And at the same time I realised something that had been in front of me the whole time but I'd been to blinded by my own stupidity to see it." Charlie couldn't speak for a moment.

"What?" Silas asked, his voice hoarse.

Charlie looked up and was caught by those black depths, "You. I saw you. You are everything that I have been looking for. You're funny and silly and play games with me but you're also clever and serious and you're strong. You took care of your whole family when they couldn't take care of themselves. And, I think, you need me just a little bit, and that you love me just a little bit too. Am I – am I right?"

Silas could only nod.

* * *

><p>"Dada Dada Dada Dada Dada Dada!" The little boy screamed, pulling on the hem of his father's shirt and looking up into the man's face; pleading to be picked up and held.<p>

"Just a minute, Jacob." Severus said, still carefully counting out the anti-clockwise stirs of his potion.

Jacob screeched in frustration and dropped to the floor, lying prostrate on his stomach, screaming his lungs out.

"Jacob!" Severus scolded, not looking away from the potion. The little boy took no notice of his father's reprimand and continued his tantrum.

Severus sighed but otherwise ignored the display, finishing his potion and putting the supplies away while Jacob screamed himself hoarse, it was only a few minutes before Jacob realized that his tantrum was getting him nowhere and stopped crying completely, dried tears leaving stains on his red cheeks. The boy looked up and saw his father had left the room; the little boy stood and walked out the door in search of his father. "Dada? Dada? Dada?"

"Here, Jacob." Severus called from the main bedroom of his Hogwarts' quarters. Jacob came running into the room and climbed inexpertly onto the bed, Severus was standing beside it, folding washing.

Jacob grinned and dived into the washing basket, throwing clothes all over the bed, including those that Severus had already folded.

Severus sighed and put down the washing, obviously he wasn't going to get too much done today. Severus picked up the toddler and settled him on his hip, the boy giggled happily and wrapping his hands around Severus' neck hugged the man tightly to himself.

"Love, love, love." The boy chanted and Severus chuckled softly.

"Yes, baby, I love you too." Severus placed a kiss on the boy's forehead and Jacob giggled and then wriggled until Severus put him down again but before Severus could do anything else the baby wrapped his hand around Severus' index finger and pulled, putting all his weight behind it.

The attempt was pitiful, Severus could barely feel the tugging, but he knew what his son wanted. "Jacob, we can't walk now, Daddy has to work. When Seb gets back we'll all walk, I promise."

Jacob stamped his foot when it became clear that Severus was not following his direction, tears began building in the baby's eyes as he struggled to pull Severus along and bend to his bidding, Severus sighed.

* * *

><p>And would you look at that, we've begun another journey in the lives of the Snapes. This one is going to be a little more eventful than the other stories, something actually happens in this apart from relationships and stuff, and Julia has a role apart from just being Severus' love interest.<p>

Soooo... did I shock you? You didn't expect her to be really alive did you? :D

Review please. I love them.

Next chapter should be up soon, I haven't written very far ahead which irks me but I've received so many pleas to post this story that I figured I may as well appease some of you. Weekly updates won't start again until I am at least three chapters ahead, so there may be a long wait.

Oh, and i know I haven't yet replied to the reviews from Chapter Twenty of A Fresh Start but I'll do that through PMs, I don't want to cross-story review reply. And so those anonymous reviewers I'll just say thank you now for taking the time to review, it does actually mean a lot! :D And I'll get to those replies soon, life's just a bit hectic at the moment.

Love always, JP


	2. Silas Recounts

**Chapter Two - Silas Recounts**

_"Would you marry me?" Silas asked, he was lying in bed, Charlie's head supported by his shoulder and his arm wrapped underneath her; holding her to him. She was sleeping, proven by the occasional snore that made Silas giggle the first couple times and then served to keep him awake. His hand was threading through her dark hair and Silas sighed as he remembered the past week. The past week that had been so much more terrifying than any week really had the right to be. And now in the quiet of Charlie's bedroom at one in the morning Silas couldn't help but remember it, remember it all._

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><p>Silas had left Charlie's quarters on the fifth floor shortly after her confession with the explanation of, "I just need a minute to think." That had been Saturday and Silas had felt like a complete shit when he closed the door behind him on the heartbroken face of the woman he loved. He'd left the Herbology teacher and had made his way downstairs to Severus' quarters. He really needed to talk to Severus about all of this, Severus would know what to do; he usually always did.<p>

It wasn't until this past year or so that Silas had really realised that Severus didn't actually have all the answers, and that his older brother was not actually indestructible. Severus had been absolutely shattered when Julia had died and Silas had been completely at a loss about what to do for the broken man.

The night of Julia's death had proven to be the longest in the lives of the Snape family. Severus had completely broken down at the sight of his dead wife and lost son and there was nothing that Nick (their neighbor at the time) could do as he stood outside the Emergency doors – watching through the window.

It was barely ten minutes later when Silas had arrived via apparition with Charlie and a few healers from St Mungos who had been coerced in coming to a muggle's sick bed because of the magical child within her.

But even as they had arrived and with them the promise of salvation, Severus could not be consoled, as convinced as he was of the demise of his newly acquired family; Nick and Silas had had to hold Severus out of the way to stop the man from holding his wife and interfering in the quick actions of the healers.

But nothing could be done. Julia Snape was dead.

Silas had finally gotten up the nerve to ask, "And the baby?"

One of the healers had frowned and said, "The baby? I assumed you realised, the doctors must have been able to remove the child. I can assure you that there is no child within this woman any longer."

At that opportune moment the door had opened to reveal a short greying man, with eyebrows so bushy he put a yeti to shame.

"Mr Snape?" The man asked, looking around at the crowded room filled with strange people.

Severus hadn't heard anything that had happened in the room; he was so lost in his own grief.

Silas had cleared his throat, "Yes?"

The man had looked confused but then shook his head and said, "Your wife, I'm very sorry. But we were able to rescue your son. He is alive but the prognosis is not good. I am most worried about his lungs, they are still underdeveloped and so he cannot breathe well enough to sustain life. We've put him on a ventilator, but you must be prepared. He was born nearly three months too early."

Silas had swallowed. "I – I – he – he Jacob, that's his name. Jacob's not mine, I'm his uncle. Severus, my brother." Silas had stepped out of the way so that the doctor could have a clear view of Severus who was no longer weeping but muttering to himself.

The man frowned, concerned, "I see. If you would like to see the child, you may, but no more than two at a time." The doctor glanced around at the rest of the room. The two healers then stepped forward and introduced themselves as personal physicians of the family and requested Jacob's files and to be allowed to perform their own exams.

The doctor didn't seem pleased but took the healers away to go see Jacob.

"Severus?" Silas had turned his brother to face him and had held the man's face in his hands. "Severus listen to me. Your son is alive. Jacob is alive and he needs you to get yourself together. He needs you to be strong and take care of him. You've done it before and you can do it again. Jacob and Sebastian need you."

Severus had completely stilled and just nodded.

"Good. Come." Silas had pulled Severus by the arm, following the healers and the doctor.

It had been truly frightening to see that tiny red bundle hooked up to all those machines and Silas had felt like crying but Severus had said nothing. He'd only sat on the chair by his son's incubator and had leant his head against it, murmuring a poem that he'd said to Sebastian more times than any of them could count. The poem that Silas and Severus' mother had devised when she had been pregnant with Severus, only slightly adapted to fit for Severus' usage.

"Blue, blue, blue;

A boy to wear the hue.

A son to hold,

A child to scold.

You're mine to love,

Always, you're mine.

And I am yours,

Your Father."

The healers had hovered and had cast discreet spells and had determined that the baby could be saved with an immediate transfer to the magical hospital. St Mungo's had taken care of everything. And Severus had carried his son home two weeks later, smaller than expected but healthy and safe.

Severus could no longer work as a healer, he no longer had the time with two children whom he was the soul parent of. So, two weeks after Julia's somber funeral Severus had quit, sold the house and moved his family back to Hogwarts and had retaken the position of Potions Master.

And Mrs Martin had been forgotten the moment that she arrived at Julia's funeral with a very familiar man by her side.

Severus had thought that somehow Tobias Snape had threatened the woman to showing him where his children lived. Silas had watched from the front door, with baby Jacob in his arms and Sebastian holding on to his pant leg as Severus had marched across the front lawn.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Get away from her!" Severus had pulled Mrs Martin behind him and Tobias had put up his hands in a conciliatory manner.

"Please, Severus I just wanted to give you my condolences and support. Please." He had said and Severus had been so angry, so angry about everything and the way his life had turned out and that the only women he ever loved had all died, and Severus had hit him. Hit Tobias square in the jaw.

The man had fallen to the ground, and Severus' knuckles had cracked and Mrs Martin had screamed.

"Severus! Please Severus don't. I promise you he just wants to be a part of you all again. Please listen to him!" Mrs Martin had pleaded, hanging on to Severus' arm and as Severus had turned to face her Silas had seen the horrendous comprehension dawn on his elder brother's face.

Severus had asked so quietly that Silas had barely heard him, "You're his wife?"

Mrs Martin had only nodded. Severus shook the woman from his arm, disgusted, and had moved back into the house. Slamming the front door behind him and locking it.

The living room, filled with mourners, was completely still and Severus had run up to his room and had stayed there until only the Malfoys were left and Lucius had gone up to speak to the man.

Silas never knew exactly what the two had said to each other but after that incident nothing more was ever said and Severus would no longer shut himself away for hours at a time with Jacob in Silas' care.

Silas would have thought that Severus had come back to them but he hadn't. Sure, he was physically there but there was something shuttered off in his eyes and Silas found that that shutter meant he could no longer connect to his brother. Only Sebastian and Jacob succeeded, however infrequently, in occasionally allowing those black orbs to smile again.

Dumbledore had greeted them in the Entrance Hall on moving day with sad eyes but a welcoming smile and Silas had never thought he'd be more grateful to move back to the castle. The responsibility of caring for his brother had been a heavy burden on his shoulders and he knew that now that they were back that Dumbledore would take over the care for his surrogate son. And it was when Severus had responded to Dumbledore's welcoming arms with a fierce hug and had buried his face in the man's shoulder that Silas realised that perhaps Severus needed a father just as much as his own sons did. And Silas' heart had responded with a fierce longing, a longing to know what it felt like to have a father and Silas knew then that even though Severus had no need of their biological father, he'd chosen one for himself, Silas did and Silas needed to find him. To go to his father and be told it would be okay even though he knew full well it wouldn't and to feel that just for a moment someone would take care of it for him and take his heavy burdens away.

Severus had always been that person for him but Silas knew that Severus could no longer be. Severus had children, Severus had more responsibilities and Silas, even though Severus would never see it that way, was an unnecessary burden.

That next day Silas had gone in search of his father, he hadn't told Severus where he was going, or anyone for that matter.

Mrs Martin had answered the door, "Silas! Hello!"

"Hello Mrs Martin."

"No, no call me Helen. I expect you're here to see John?" She'd smiled a hundred watt smile and had even chuckled a little when Silas had frowned in confusion, "Tobias, I suppose that's what you know him by. John changed his name after he changed, he wanted, needed, a fresh start. A new name for a new person." She ushered Silas inside and closed the door, and lead Silas down a narrow hall to a brown door. "John's in the study," She said, indicating the door, she disappeared through another door.

Silas gulped and cautiously knocked on the door. "Come in Helen dear." Tobi – John called. And Silas carefully pushed the door open.

Silas's father sat at a brown table, there was one bookshelf, stocked to the brim and one filing cabinet. The room was so small that those were the only objects that would have fit in the room.

John didn't look up from his papers that he was scribbling on, but when Silas didn't speak John glanced up to not find his wife but his youngest son. John stood up suddenly.

"Silas!" He was startled and Silas could only nod. "Have a seat." He gestured to a chair that sat on the other side of the table from him. Silas sat and John sat a moment later.

The room was quiet, Silas looking at anything that wasn't his father.

"Is there something I can do for you?" John finally broke the silence and Silas' gaze dropped to his hand in his lap.

After a few moments he finally said, "Be my father?" Silas looked up through his fringe and saw the determined expression on John's face as he nodded.

He had sat in John's study with the man for over an hour, and they talked, they talked about everything and nothing and Silas left feeling happier than he had in years and so the next day he'd informed Severus of his new relationship with their father.

"I need him Severus." Silas had argued.

Severus clenched his jaw, "But you have me and the boys and Albus."

"No, I don't. Not anymore. And I never had Dumbledore to begin with. Dumbledore is your father, John Martin is mine. Your children need you more than I do, and for now you have to let me go, let me find my own way."

Severus hadn't said anything after that but he would refuse to discuss anything that remotely related to Silas' father.

After school Silas had been lost, with absolutely no clue what to do. Dumbledore had allowed Silas to stay and assist Hagrid until he figured it out.

As Silas scuffled to Severus' rooms he couldn't believe that so many changes had happened within the space of three years. Sebastian had been lost to them and then won back; he'd been discovered as an empath and a seer, Severus had married and had another son and lost his wife. Silas had graduated, become a groundskeeper, found his father and now he'd found Charlie.

Silas' reverie was broken by a dull thud coming from inside Severus' quarters and then the earsplitting sound of Jacob Snape crying his head off.

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><p>There you are! A lovely explanatory chapter, I hope it answers some questions for all of you who were confused and if you're still confused bear with me, not everything has been explained yet (clearly) so don't worry. It will all make sense in the end.<p>

**_Reviews from Chapter 1:_ **

**Twilight1987**: Oh she's alive alright, and as much as I would like to keep you in suspense about how she is alive as long as possible I am going to tell you that, no, she isn't a vampire. BUT good guess! Ahaha, glad you're enjoying the story! :D

**frannienzbabe**: I hope this chapter explains how Jacob lived, and if you were actually asking "How did he survive the crash?" and not "How could he have lived being born three months early?" Then the answer to that is because he is magical; its based on the premise that wizarding children often show their magic to protect themselves from harm, so Jacob's magic saved him, but as he was still so young it was not yet powerful enough to save his mother or even himself completely, because even after the crash he was still at risk of dying. I like that you're asking questions it makes me double check my reasoning for everything I allow to happen in the story. Thank you for the review :D

**dan4eva**: Is it? I don't know? I guess we'll have to see! ;) I'm glad you love Severus and Julia so much, and I totally agree with you. I mean the cliche thing would have been to kill Julia off and then get Severus and Charlie together because they're opposites and opposites supposedly attract and are so therefore obviously meant for each other and yadda yadda. But I'm trying to (as much as possible when writing a story about magic) keep this story as real as possible and in the real world often relationships like that don't work. And don't you think that Severus and Julia just work? And that Silas and Charlie just work? I do. And it makes me happy :D Thank you so much for the review!

**LemonDropsWoolSocks**: Hey! It's my number one fan! Dear Young One, isn't it so much more fun talking through another story? I love it! :D And yeah you're right I did mean dead, I'm just incompetent at typing so don't mind me... ahaha! Maybe Seb does have a lot to do with her coming back... or maybe he has really nothing to do with it at all! (madly cackling in background) Yeah I loved Dracy too, I put it in his perspective at the request of another reader to know more about Draco and am so glad I did, thanks to her I already have the epilogue written in my head! If only I can remember her name! I guess I'll have to go back and check! Jacob is a handful! But so are most children and it really irks me when fan-fiction authors write about their characters having babies and babies and children upon children but the kids play almost no role and allow the parents to go off on their adventures. Life's just not like that, kids are much more hands on than other amateur authors demonstrate so I really want that to get across in this story. This story takes place a year and a half later. So Silas is a year out of Hogwarts and Jacob is eighteen months and Sebastian is almost eight! Ahaha and the title came out of nowhere, it probably won't even make sense in the end, oh well! And as always thanks for the brilliant reviews, they always make me laugh! :D

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape**: Ah hello again there dear! Good to see you again! :D and Yes, yes I am full of surprises! Ahaha, I've looked your chapter over and have PMd it to you already! Much love JP :D

**LilliannaSnape212**: Yes, I am quite evil I know. In fact it's actually my middle name! And you are a lucky duck! Caught this series at just the right time! There is a reason behind Draco's behavior so don't fear on that count! Yeah he probably should be a little suspicious but I suppose you'll just have to wait and see on that too! :D Thanks for the review!

**Krintz96:** Ahaha thank you! I hope this chapter answered some of your queries and you may also want to look at my reply to **frannienzbabe** above for further info on Jacob's existence. Thank you for the review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much!

**Alena13**: Thank you, and I hope your worries are being addressed. Don't worry it will eventually all make sense. Thanks again for the review! :D

Please dear children review, it makes me happy! :D


	3. An Accident at Birth

**Chapter Three - An Accident at Birth**

"Dad?" Severus heard Sebastian calling him from the sitting room. Severus was in the kitchen, feeding Jacob his lunch.

"In the kitchen Seb, it's time for lunch!" Severus called back and set the two sandwiches down, one for his son and one for Draco Malfoy. Jacob was happily sitting in his high chair flinging scrambled egg around with his spoon.

"Coming!" Seb called, the previous cautious tone was gone and in its place was a delighted singsong and Severus had to lift an eyebrow at the sudden change. He was expecting some kind of catastrophe to have occurred.

Catastrophe averted Severus pulled out a chair so that he could eat his lunch as well, but as he looked up in the doorway to see the boys enter he dropped the chair and it fell onto its side. Jacob jumped at the sudden noise, his head jerked back and hit the back of the chair. The boy started howling and Severus ripped his eyes off the ghost and looked to his son, who had bitten his tongue: hard. Blood was poring from the baby's mouth and Severus swore.

"Sebastian! Why did you bring that here? Take it away now!" Severus refused to look at it again as he repaired his baby's mouth. He took out his wand and muttered a simple healing charm, the blood stopped oozing and Severus cleaned it away and then cast a slight numbing charm to take the rest of the residual pain away. The baby continued to whimper at the remembered pain and Severus picked the boy up and cuddled him close, Jacob buried his face in his father's neck.

When Severus looked up the ghost was still there, standing next to Sebastian, with Draco standing (more like hiding) behind Seb.

"What did I say Sebastian? Take that ghost out of here now! I don't want to see it." Severus was furious.

Sebastian smiled and Severus had never been so angry with his son before, "No, Dad. It's not a ghost. It's her, I promise."

Severus' rebuke died in his throat as his eyes travelled back to the woman. "Sebastian, are you sure? How could this happen?"

It may have seemed odd to other parents to so readily accept the word of their seven-year-old sons but Sebastian was different. Sebastian didn't lie, and Sebastian had an uncanny ability to always know the truth.

"I can't tell you that, you need to ask Dumbledore. But I am sure." Seb said softly, moving forward and holding his arms out for Jacob. Severus, not removing his eyes from his thought to be dead wife, placed the baby on the ground. Sebastian took Jacob's hand and led him and Draco away.

The kitchen was completely quiet as Severus took in the woman.

"Julia?" He finally asked, so quietly she barely heard it, but it was all she needed.

"Severus!" And she ran into his arms, nearly winding him but he caught her and his moment of hesitation passed as soon as he smelt her, smelt what he never thought he would again, and Severus closed his eyes. Even if this was just a dream it was so much better than his other ones, at least he could smell her this time. And she felt so real. He knew it would be more painful because of that when he woke up but he couldn't help it, for the moment he just wanted to pretend that it was possible for her to be alive and in his arms.

"Oh shit, sorry." Severus opened his eyes to see Silas standing awkwardly in the doorway. "I didn't realise you had someone over… I just heard Jacob crying is all." Silas scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks beet red.

Julia turned in Severus' arms to see Silas, and Severus begrudgingly loosened his hold on her, it was almost made up to him, however, when Silas's jaw dropped so low it almost hit the floor and then Silas hit the floor. He had fainted.

The next five minutes were spent waking Silas up and then when all three were settled on the settee there was only one question, spoken simultaneously by Silas and Severus, "How?"

Julia shook her head, confused. "I honestly don't know. The last thing I remember was crossing the road and turning my head to see bright lights. That's all, really."

"Perhaps, Severus, I may be able to offer some assistance." Dumbledore stepped further into the room, Seb, Draco and Jacob with him.

Severus frowned but motioned for the man to sit down. Jacob, uncomfortable with the strange woman in his home hid behind Dumbledore until he came close enough to make a break for it and run to Severus, burying his face in Severus' lap, crying until the man picked him up and allowed Jacob to bury his head in Severus' chest.

Severus looked to Julia, she looked shaken, confused and disappointed, his heart bled for her. The mother who'd loved Jacob so intensely before he was even born could not even look at the little boy, who was so painfully shy, without him crying.

"When Julia passed on, she did not in fact do so." Dumbledore began, "If she had been magical she would have become a ghost – but Julia was not – she was stuck between life and death."

"What? Why?" Julia frowned she didn't remember that.

"Because you had a purpose my dear," Dumbledore smiled indulgently. "There was a purpose that you had to accomplish but you could not do so without magic and so you had to die to gain magic."

Severus could not remember being more confused in his life. "She died so that she could get magic? And yet she wasn't really dead because she had unfinished business? But she couldn't become a ghost because she had no magic?"

"Precisely so my boy."

"Headmaster, I don't understand." Silas joined in.

"There are a few people born every once in a while that are born with specific purposes. Julia, dear, yours was to become a part of Severus' family, to care for and protect them. Especially your son, Sebastian." Dumbledore began again.

"Okay…?" Julia said.

"Sebastian is a very special boy, we all know that, but he was not always so, he was not born a seer or an empath. Sebastian was born a normal boy to his parents. After his incident with Voldemort Sebastian was not only physically marked, he became what we see today."

"But how?" Severus asked.

"That, I'm afraid I must confess I do not know, I only know that as Voldemort breathed his last Sebastian became something else."

"But he didn't!" Sebastian said suddenly.

"Who didn't what, Seb?" Silas asked.

"He didn't breathe his last." Seb smiled; as if this was the happiest proclamation he could have delivered.

Dumbledore smiled sunnily along with the child, "Exactly that Sebastian, Voldemort is still alive."

"What? Why are you so happy about that? How can that be?" Silas was growing hysterical, he was, quite understandably, terrified.

"Simple my son, Sebastian never fought Voldemort, Voldemort's own spell merely rebounded and not effectually at all, there was not quite enough power left in the spell by the time it got around to hitting Voldemort. It stripped him of his body but it didn't kill him entirely and it also removed most of his magic, so that the man had no ability to make an active comeback."

Severus nodded slowly, "But what does this have to do with Julia?"

Dumbledore looked to the man that he loved as his own and gave him a reassuring look, "As I said before Severus, Julia was born into this world to look after you and yours. She was born to vanquish Voldemort, for good."

"No way…" Silas gasped.

"How can that be? She has no magic!" Severus was growing angry in his confusion.

"That I'm afraid was an accident at birth, for reasons that I myself have trouble understanding Julia was born to the wrong parents, or her experience of life was such that it blocked her magic from developing as it should have. What was an accident at birth corrected itself when Julia died, she died so that she could be born again, as it were, and this time with her magic."

"But I don't understand? Why was I in that emerald coffin? How do you know? I don't have any magic!" Julia protested.

"You don't? Oh, my dear, you are very much mistaken. You are the most magically powerful being in this room. And the coffin? Well, dear, I put you in there myself. I knew what you needed to become and I made so that it was possible. The emerald coffin sustained your body so that when your spirit was ready it could be transferred to you again."

"But how did she get magic?" Severus asked, he put his hand on her knee and she clutched at his hand with her own.

Dumbledore gave him an incredulous look, "Severus, Julia has just spent eighteen months in limbo. As I am sure you know, limbo is entirely a magical plane of existence, how could she not absorb raw magic from a place such as that?"

"Can we just have a little clarification here! I'm so confused!" Silas was pulling at his hair, Dumbledore chuckled. "Okay, so, Julia was born with a disability." Silas began.

"I wasn't." Julia retorted.

Silas sighed, "A magical disability, in that she didn't have any and she was supposed to."

"Yes." Dumbledore answered.

"And she was born with the express purpose of protecting Severus and his family, and that means with the express purpose of killing Voldemort."

"Yeah!" Sebastian agreed, Dumbledore and the child shared comraderie smiles and Severus rolled his eyes – he knew that this would happen. Sebastian was already a mini-Albus.

"But because she didn't have any magic she had to die, so that she could absorb some magic and then be able to properly protect Severus by killing Voldemort."

"Exactly." Dumbledore said.

"Right, well I need a drink." Silas stood up and moved to the side board.

"Always good to see you drowning your confusion in alcohol." Severus said absently.

"Shut up. Do you want some?" Silas pored himself a healthy dose of amber liquid.

"Do you even have to ask?" Severus held his hand out for a glass.

"Good to know you're encouraging alcoholism, Severus. What else have you taken to showing our children while I've been away." Julia frowned.

"You say that like you've been on holiday." Severus took a sip.

"Well I kind of feel like I have." She responded softly.

"I certainly haven't." The bitterness would have been impossible to miss in his tone.

"I'm sorry." Julia whispered.

Severus looked up, startled by her words, to see her eyes filled with tears.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that; it wasn't your fault. None of this was." Severus squeezed her hand. Jacob looked up from his father's chest and studied Julia for a moment before nodding and then drifting off into sleep. "It's nap time." Severus said, "I'll just go put him down."

"I'm coming." Julia stood up with him and followed him into the nursery. Those in the living room heard the door close.

"Lunch!" Sebastian announced and left for the kitchen with Draco to eat the temporarily forgotten sandwiches.

Silas was still standing by the sideboard, drinking. Dumbledore sat in his armchair and studied the young man before him.

"I know... I know you and Severus are close. I'm sure he's told you about my father." Silas wasn't looking at the man, just his drink, as he leaned against the sideboard.

"He might have mentioned him once or twice." Dumbledore said and Silas' head shot up.

"Has he told you that I've been keeping in contact with him?"

Dumbledore nodded, "He has."

"The last time I went to visit him, I wasn't supposed to. I mean it wasn't a scheduled visit. I just sort of felt like showing up." Silas spoke slowly, hesitantly.

"I see." Dumbledore said and Silas had the distinct impression that they were just words used to encourage him to keep talking.

"He was sick. He was lying in his bed, hooked up to these machines." Silas gulped. "Dialysis, they called it. His kidneys or something have given up apparently after years of abuse."

"Yes, I see."

"He – uh – he's dying. Apparently the only way for him to get better is through a transplant and they won't put him on the list because he did it himself, he made his kidneys pack in with all the alcohol." Silas sneered at his half empty drink and set it aside on the sideboard, but now with nothing for his hands to do he gripped the back of the couch. "And his wife isn't a match. And there's no one else. I offered, but he wouldn't even let them test me. He said he wasn't going to take that from me too. He didn't want me to ever think that he'd only wanted to find us so that he could keep living, he just wanted to make amends and then pass on."

The room was silent.

"But I – but I can't do that, sir. I need him. He's my father, and in whatever convoluted way I still love him and I still want him in my life."

"I understand." Dumbledore said.

"But there's nothing I can do about it anyway, I had them test me anyway, and I'm not a match." Silas looked up from his study of his hands and straight into Dumbledore's eyes. "I wanted to tell Sev, tell him that John was dying – but I can't. Everytime I get up the courage Sev changes the subject as soon as I start talking about the man." Silas took a deep breath, "Could you, maybe, tell him for me?"

Dumbledore watched the young man for a moment, "And while I tell your brother of your father's apparent imminent death would you also like me to ask him for his kidney for your father."

Silas paled at the old man's tone, it was frostier than he'd ever heard it. "No! That's not what I meant! Really it isn't! I mean John's _my_ father, he's not Severus' and Sev's made that pretty clear! I would never ask him to do that!"

"But you'd ask me to ask him that?" Dumbledore kept pushing.

Silas was panicking, "No sir! Really not at all. He's not Sev's to save but I just thought that Severus should know. But I can't do it, because even if he did let me get the words out he'd only ridicule me for caring and berate my father. And I – and I can't take that right now." Silas' voice broke and Dumbledore's face softened immediately and completely.

"I understand. And I'm sorry, my boy, to be so harsh but I've hurt Severus far too many times in my life to be willing to do it anymore." Dumbledore confessed.

Silas nodded, "It's alright sir, I know you love him."

* * *

><p>Hello, it's an early update but I just couldn't resist. I think there'll be about three more chapters, around that - so its not long to go before we wrap up with the Sebastian Snape trilogy. Exciting I think!<p>

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review if you have a moment.

_Reviews from Chapter Two - Silas Recounts_

**dan4eva**: Yeah I love Silas, in the last story 'A Fresh Start' Silas himself didn't have much of a role, but he's definitely a lot more relevant in this story, he's very important and I love the way that he goes about life. He's really a gentle soul but he's also strong if he really needs to be, sort off the opposite from Severus I think in a way. I mean Severus acts tougher than he is and Silas acts softer than he is. And those conflicts your looking forward to will feature heavily in the next chapter! Thank you so much for your review and for loving my stories!

**LemonDropsWoolSocks**: Ahahah I was sooo impressed with myself over that fact! People - especially YOU - were coming with all kinds of theories about Tobias and I was sure that somebody would guess that, but no one did! It made me laugh at the fact that I could actually hide something of my plot, especially when most of it is terribly transparent. I like the lovely comment, the glare, however, scorches a bit! How about Julia's rejuvenation or rebirth ahahaaahah! And I'm sure this chapter makes up for my little over sight in the last chapter, probably not adequately knowing you and your intense love for Severus/Julia but... I guess you'll just have to wait until next chapter for that! ahah! I know, I laughed when I read it back and realised what it sounded like and I was like 'should I take it out? Or leave it in?' And then I was like leave it in, maybe it'll make someone else laugh too! :D I like you emoticon indecisiveness, personally I don't think you can go past these ;) ;D, they're delightfully creepy! OMG! I want your socks! I want your socks! I want your socks! And I don't know about having Dumbledore for a father, maybe a grandfather, he's way too indulgent I think and also probably way to old too! I mean seriously he's like a hundred and fifty and I'm not even and eighth of that! ahahaha! I know! Sad Severus is good Severus! And I'm glad my stories are feel good stories, it's what I'm going for after all even though it makes heavy mention of dead people, evil people, scary people and dropped babies. ;) Very impressed with your perceptiveness missy! That's why I thought for sure you'd get Mrs Martin! And maybe Rocky and Mrs Norris will have kittens...

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape**: I know right!


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